Chinese officials shut down two fake Apple shops

Chinese officials have ordered two fake Apple shops to
close down, but only because they do not have official business
permits. Three of the other pseudo stores in Kunming are keeping
their doors open.

Earlier this month, a US travel blogger found an audacious counterfeit Apple Store in China's Kunming
city. The fake shops had a spiral staircase, an upstairs seating
area, iPads to
fiddle with and the staff -- sporting blue shirts and chunky
lanyards -- even thought they worked for Apple.

The explosion of media attention led to an official
investigation by the Chinese government, who found five shops in
Kunming alone that were trading as hoax Apple stores. Two of
them didn't have official business permits and will be closed, but
the rest will remain open.

This is because all five shops were selling genuine Apple
products bought from other authorised resellers in China, Huang
Yinghui, an official at the city's business bureau, told
Reuters.

The government will now investigate whether Apple has
applied to have its store design and layout protected by law in
China.

The Bird Abroad blog has recently found more elaborate fake shops from around the world, as
people from Croatia to Venezuela send in photos of counterfeit
Apple Stores. There's even a spurious fake in New York, called
Apple Story.